The Healthy Habits of Gastropub Guys

By night, NYC restaurateurs Brian McGrory and Donal Brophy run authentic anglophile eateries. By day, they're sweating out the joys of gastropub life.

As the restaurateurs behind the bustling West Village restaurants, Highlandsand Whitehall, plus Montauk's Byron at the Surf Lodge, Brian McGrory and Donal Brophy spend their days and nights surrounded by food and booze. Even with all three of their restaurants as busy as ever, and their newly launched catering company on the rise, the Scot (McGrory) and the Irishman (Brophy) still manage to make it to the gym just about every morning.

“As a restaurateur you are the face of your business, so you have to look good, go to the gym, take your vitamins, and drink your green juice,” says McGrory. Brophy adds, “From the beginning, our restaurants have always been about how do we create these Anglophile kind of restaurants and still challenge peoples’ notions of what it means to be Irish and Scottish. Underneath that, it’s trying to be healthy.” Their dedication to wellness, both in their personal lives and their business, has been essential to their success. Here, a look at how they do it.

Hit the gym early.

“The key things for us are the green juice in the morning, obviously some coffee, and then it’s straight to the gym,” says McGrory. “If we don’t get it in first thing in the morning, we can’t make it happen."

Drink responsibly.

“Wine can be a killer when it comes to calories and sugar,” says Brophy. He suggests his version of a Pimm’s Cup as an alternative. “Take strawberries, mint, and cucumber, muddle them, and then add ice and do a splash of ginger ale on top. It’s amazing. Or, get fresh garden apples and juice them, add some vodka and a splash of elderflower, and it’s perfect,” he says.

Choose nature's sweets.

Though McGrory and Brophy serve up plenty of decadent desserts, they also suggest savoring the earth’s natural sweets. “Try fresh sliced peaches with a little homemade whipped cream and just a drop of sugar," says McGrory. "Instead of looking at a cookbook, go to the farmer’s market. It’s so much more inspiring."

Stay balanced.

“We are very much about living our lives,” says McGrory. “You have to have your carbs, your fun, your alcohol, but then you need exercise and spirituality too.”